Wednesday, March 03, 2004

Nurturing the body through gardening

I got up a bit early this morning to go see my chiropractor and massage therapist whom I’ve been visiting for about 3 months now. An auto accident precipitated my forming this relationship and I must admit I was a bit skeptical when I was first referred to their office. But how my opinion has changed.

Dr. Gordon Lovett, my doctor at The Spinal Correction Centers, has been tremendous in adjusting my spine back to the way it was when I was a girl. Lynn Ginocchio and Chris Burlei, my phenomenal massage therapists, perform deep muscle massage to aid in getting me back to a healthy state.

So what, you may ask, do chiropractic medicine and massage therapy have to do with gardening? Pretty much everything. If your body frame is healthy you can comfortably work in the garden and nurture your plants. To reduce the likelihood of injury from twisting and turning activities like shoveling and hoeing, regular chiropractic visits can help keep muscles and vertebrae in top condition.

One of the BEST gardening articles I’ve read lately actually comes from Dr. Lovett’s office. I know he doesn’t mind if I paraphrase, so here are some comments:

Raking, weeding, planting seeds on hands and knees…these are just a few of the garden-related activities that may bring on back pain. Specifically, these repetitive activities are linked with a spinal disorder called vertebral subluxation.

This common condition occurs when spinal movement is restricted or spinal bones (vertebrae) become misaligned. Vertebral subluxations are linked with a myriad of health concerns, such as backache, carpal tunnel syndrome, headaches, infantile colic and ear infections. Dr. Lovett can correct vertebral subluxations with safe and gentle maneuvers called chiropractic adjustments.

Gardening is exercise and, just like any other workout, a proper warm-up is vital to staving off injury. Just five to ten minutes of stretching before gardening can make a huge difference when it comes to preventing strains and sprains.

So, the bottom line is love your garden but love your body just as much. And at my age, and I’m not saying what it is, I feel so much better structurally than I ever did at 20+. But don’t take my word for it. If you’re ever in Dunedin, Florida I invite you to find out for yourself (727-734-7611). But whatever you do, make sure you include the massage with Chris or Lynn. Those two have hands like God – you will melt on the table. Happy Gardening.